On Fire: Jim Greco

“Body jars, backside noseblunt-slides, and 360 ollies is what I like about skateboarding right now.”

“The bank was faster than I thought, the first time I landed on my board it shot out and I almost got brain trauma.”

“Skate hard and die fast, motherfker!”

“Danny Way makes Tony Hawk look like a girl.”

On Fire

Jim Greco

“Hot stuff coming through”

Interview By Andrew Reynolds

So, I noticed you stick to an old-school, traditional way of street skating. What do you think of the direction street skating is going these days?

Oh, like crooked grind to backside lipslide down handrails, the benihana of handrail tricks? Is that what you”re talking about?

Is it hard to stay off of drugs?

For what I get out of it, which is endless f—king enjoyment of riding my skateboard, no. And for all the good things I get out of it in my life, no, it’s not. It’s more than a fair trade. Let’s not make this another boring interview about drugs.

What are some of the things you like about skateboarding right now?

Body jars, backside noseblunt-slides, and 360 ollies is what I like about skateboarding right now.

What are some of the things you don’t like about the skateboard industry?

Some things I don’t like? How about a so-called righteous company like IPath giving a guy, their teamrider Matt Rodriguez, the option to design a signature shoe, and then when it comes out looking really good they just say they’re going to call it the “Cat,” and he doesn’t see dollar one of the royalties. That’s something I think is f—ked up about the skateboard industry.

How is it going from not caring what happens the next day to getting more involved? Making sure an IPath situation isn’t going to happen to you.

I go up to Vans every day. They’re going to build me a f—king desk. I just keep an eye on these things. I go and take part in designing all the shit and have a great working relationship with the people up there. I think I’m more like a thorn in their side than one of their friends, but that’s the way it’s gotta be.

What’s your mission in skateboarding?

To destroy it as it now stands and recreate it in my name and image.

Was the car wash scary?

F—k yeah. I woke up at four in the morning, basically in some kind of psychopathic rage, drank a pot of coffee and a Rockstar, then called up a couple of my friends and just did it. The bank was faster than I thought—the first time I landed on my board it shot out and I almost got brain trauma. Then my board got ran over by a car and was broken in half. So I had to do it on Dan Rogers’ board. I got there at 4:30 in the morning, and we were done by about 5:30. It was fun.

What do you want out of skateboarding?

To pinch the pockets of the freestylers that are juicin’ my cash.

What do you think of companies that are rippin’ off Baker’s look and style?

Which ones? Like the ones that use a crack-addicted rapper to run their whole advertising gig and slow-mo kickflips in ditches in their debut video? Is that the one you’re talking about? Good luck, and good f—king night.

Is there anything you want to say to Ali Boulala if he happens to read this?

Yes, there is … I am boiling the water now!

So how much longer do you think you will be skating professionaly?

Well, Booth is still skating professionally, and he’s like what, 35 to 40 years old? And I know I’ve got way more stamina than that motherf—ker, so probably, like, I don’t know. I can keep this up until I drop dead. I’ll be 60 to 70 years old if I even slow down at all. Skateboarding’s the fountain of youth, I mean, I know I’ve got double, I’d probably say triple the stamina of Booth. So it could go on until I’m 90. Who the f—k knows?

So who’s Booth?

In a ’97 ESPN episode I seeen him suffering in some sort of suffering booth on the side of a vert ramp after a fairly nasty spill, hence the name “Suffering Booth.” So we kept it short—Booth. Booth is Tony Hawk.

Is there anything else you want to add?

Yeah, Danny Way makes Tony Hawk look like a girl.

Any advice for the kids?

Yeah, you can do anything you want in this world using this formula: Action based upon belief, sustained by confidence, equals faith in whatever you want to do on your skateboard or in life in general. Skate hard and die fast, motherf—ker!